If you’ve had your eyes peeled, we’ve been talking quite a bit around the techy-bits of full-fibre. This time round, we’re diving into what goes on within the fibre-optic cable and what makes them the future of internet. You may think it's a bit silly to read a whole blog on a cable (hopefully not!), but fibre-optic cables are the brains behind getting you the internet you deserve.
The build of a fibre-optic cable
Fibre-optic cables which are used for your full-fibre installation are quite different from the bog-standard cables you might have in mind. It’s the inside of the cables which makes all the difference. It’s the perfect solution to carrying large amounts of data over long distances, while still uploading and downloading at ultrafast speeds. If you were to cut up a fibre-optic cable in half, here’s what you would find inside...
Made with thin strands of glass or plastic, the fibre-optic cable transmits your data lightning-fast (literally). In this layer, this is where the magic happens, and so it’s got a layer of protective cladding and buffer coating to make sure everything stays intact.
How fast does data travel with the fibre-optic cable?
The speed of light is quite literally the fastest thing on planet Earth – and it just so happens that data travels at light speed through a fibre optic cable. That means that data (e.g. you clicking on a website link or downloading a new movie) can travel at 299,792,458 meters per second. That’s a pretty big number to read out loud, yet alone imagine. But, to put it into perspective for you...
A fibre-optic cable has much higher capacity of data transfer than copper wire.
28 million times faster than Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet.
Over 9.5 million times faster than a Cheetah, the fastest animal in the world.
Bearing all these impressive numbers in mind, it’s full-fibre is an ideal choice for lightning-fast internet that doesn’t keep you waiting in the middle of your movie night or loading forever on end for no reason!
But, how does a fibre-optic cable work?
This is some technical stuff, but essentially the light that enters inside the cable gets trapped and isn’t able to get out. It means that it bounces around back and forth within the glass and plastic strands and never loses out on the lightning-fast speeds. Even with large amounts of transmitted data, full-fibre doesn’t back down and keeps things nice and speedy.
Now that you’re pretty clued upon how full-fibre cables work, you might want to test your luck and see if you can become a Jargon Busting Wizard. It’s a great title to have, so why not test your luck?
What are some of the benefits of fibre-optic cables?
For starters, a fibre-optic cable offers you more bandwidth and can carry more data at faster speeds. It lets you do more, faster. Full-fibre has transformed internet, especially amongst all those online gamers and content creators. Uploading large videos or downloading new games takes long enough, but full-fibre takes the load off and makes things simpler and speedier.
Reliability is definitely a key strength with fibre-optic cables, and you can be sure that they will last in your home. It’s the perfect future-proof solution and will remain in your home for years to come, without having to upgrade every so often.
At Lit Fibre, we want to keep you and your family safe online. Fibre-optic cables are much more secure than your traditional cabling from the 90s. Due to the build of the cable, tapping into your data is that extra bit harder, so full-fibre is often the go-to choice for secure businesses and organisations which are looking for keeping their data secure. So with the same setup you can rest assured you've got a safe setup. And with the My Lit Fibre App, we’ve got extra features available to keep your family safe online.
Where else is fibre-optic cabling used?
Fibre-optic cables have been a big hit in the world of technology and are used by more than internet providers like us at Lit Fibre, who are here to deliver lightning-fast internet to the world. With the likes of telecomms, medical imaging equipment, military and aerospace, choosing to use Fibre Optic cables, there's no reason it can't sort out your home as well. So, with that in mind, you know that by signing up for full-fibre, you’re getting something that really works. Convinced?